Heel covering



June 18, 1929. w. H. NUTT 1.718.177

HEEL COVERING V 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 Filed Aug. 51, 1927 W. H. NUTT HEEL COVERING June 1 8, 1929.

Filed Aug. 51, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MAI/EN. 70H

Patented june 18, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WELIAM H. NUTT, OF NEWIB'URYPORT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

HEEL COVERING.

Application filed August 31, 1927. Serial No. 2 16359.

This invention relates to improvements in covered heels and is herein illustratedin its application to wood heels of both Louis and Cuban types.

It is customary to cover wood heels wlth leather, celluloid, fabric, or other sultable flexible material. and sides of the heel are usually covered by one piece of covering material while the 10 breast is covered by a separate piece of material such for example, as a flap split from the sole of a shoe to which the heel is applied, the breast covering being trimmed flush with the lateral edges or corners of the heel breast and secured to the breast face by cement. In a heel thus covered, the lateral breast corners appear less carefully finished than other portions of the heel because of the exposure of the trimmed edges of the breast covering. Moreover, the edges of the breast covering not infrequently become loosened or separated more'or less from the heel, sometimes even before the heel has been worn, and thus seriously detract from the appearance of the heel. In a Cuban heel a onepiece cover is usually applied to the rear,

sides and breast face of the heel, theopposite end portions of the cover being secured in overlapped relation at the middle of the heel breast. In such a construction an objectionable ridge is formed where the end portions of the cover overlap and the outermost of the overlapping portions is liable to become loosened so that a crude and unsightly appearance is presented.

In view of the foregoing, one object of the (heel and having a cover tensioned over and conforming to the rear, side and breast sur- 5 faces of the heel, the cover being secured adhesively to these surfaces and having end portions tucked into the groove and held in In a Louis heel the rear Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the heel shown in Figs. 1 and 2, as it appears after being covered;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken.

along the line V-V of Fig. 4;;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIVI of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an uncovered Cuban heel having a cover-receiving groove in its breast;

Fig. 8 is a View similar to'Fig. 7 but showing the heel as itappears after being covered;

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line IXIX of Fig. 8; and

Figs. 10 to 16, inclusive, are perspective views illustrating various steps in the improved process of making and covering heels. J I

A Louis heel of the usual shape has rear and side surfaces which are decidedly curved or rounded in cross-section and a breast face which, throughout the greater portion of the heel, is substantially straight or only slightly curved in cross-section, the breast face beingsubstantially perpendicular to the adjacent portions of the side surfaces and meeting the latter along sharply defined lines extending throughout the height of the heel. On account of these characteristics and because the girth of the upper portion of such a heel is greater than that of the lower portion of the heel and the upper portion of the heel breast curves both heightwise and widthwise of the breast, it has heretofore been considered impracticable to cover the rear, the sides, and also the breast with a single piece of covering material. It has therefore been the custom to use one piece of material for the rear and sides of the heel and a separate piece, for example a's'ole flap, for covering the breast of the heel.

The improved heel shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5 of the drawings, while embod mg characteristics of the Louis type, di ers from the ordinary Louis heel in that the front or breast surface B of the improved heel is decidedly convex in cross-section and vmer es gradually into the opposite sides S throughout the height of the heel so that the cross-sectional shape of the body portion of the heel is substantlally elhptical as best shown in Figs. 3 and 6. The heel is therefore characterized by an entire absence of sharp corners between the breast and the side surfaces thus enabling the side covering to be laid against the breast with less stretching and manipulating of the cover than would be required if such corners were present. This makes it practicable to use a single piece of material for. covering not only the rear and the sides of a heel of the Louis type but also the entire front or breast surface thereof. As shown in Fig. 4, a one-piece leather cover C, previously coated with an adhesive, such as rubber cement, is applied to the heel H so that the opposite ends of the cover meet at the middle of the breast surface of the heel, thus doing away{ with the presence of objectionable cover oints between the breast and the sides of the heel. It is to be understood, however, that, if desired, the adhesive may be applied to the heel or to both the covering material and the heel.

In order to insure against the presence of unfinished edges, or unsightly overlapping joints between the meeting end portions of the cover at the middle of the breast, the heel H has formed therein a single straight relatively narrow groove G which extends along the middle of the breast from the top-liftreceiving face to the attaching face of the heel, the groove having substantially parallel side walls and the width of the groove being such that when the margins of the coated cover are tucked into the groove they will fill the groove and lie in closely abutting relationship therein; The groove is also made 'of such depth, and the end portions M of the cover which are to be tucked into the groove are trimmed to such width, that the edges of the cover will fall short of reaching the bottom of the groove. This construction insures that in tucking or crowding the end portions M into the groove there will be ample opportunity to stretch the cover tightly and smoothly over the breast and side surfaces of the heel so that there will be no wrinkles in the cover. Thus the end portions M of the cover, when tucked into the groove G, will be secured therein in such a manner that there will be no danger of the cover becoming loosened even before the adhesive becomes set. Moreover, a. neat and sightly joint will be produced, the joint adding to instead of detracting from the appearance of the heel.

In Figs. 7 8, and 9, the present invention has been illustrated as embodied in a heel of the Cuban type, Figs. 7 and 9 showing a Cuban heel H having a single straight groove G in the middle of its breast surface, while in Figs. 8 and 9 a one-piece cover G is shown as covering the rear, sides, and breast of the heel and having end portions M tucked into the groove.

The groove G may be formed in any convenient manner, as for example by means of a circular saw such as that indicated at 20 in Fig. 10. The cover C is made of any suitable flexible sheet material, such as leather or celluloid, which is in a limp and stretchable condition when applied to the heel. The cover is out to the proper shape for covering not only the rear and sides but also the breast of the heel, sufficient surplus being allowed for overlapping the top and bottom of the heel and for tucking into the groove G. In covering the heel it is desirable to position it, horizontally with its breast face uppermost and advantageously the heel may be securely held between suitable clamping jaws,

such as those indicated at 22 in Figs. 11 to 16. After a film of adhesive has been applied to the cover or to the heel or to both the cover and the heel, the middle portion of the cover is applied to the rear of the heel. The cover is then wiped and stretched upwardly over the sides of the heel so as to conform the cover to the irregular curved contour thereof and the end portion 0 of the cover is wiped and stretched across the heel breast and left overlapping the groove G as shown in Fig. 11. This end portion C of the cover is trimmed before it is tucked into the groove and in order that onl sufficient surplus material may be provi ed for extending into the groove without reaching the bottom thereof,

it is desirable that the trimming out be located rather carefully with respect to the groove. Inasmuch as the groove is hidden from view at this time by the cover margin, the cover may be pressed slightly into the groove to form a guiding crease 26 in the cover by a tool, such as shown at 24, having a dull blade. After the crease has been formed along the line of the groove the cover is trimmed, as indicated at 28 in Fig. 12, by means such as the hand trimming knife 30, the knife cutting against the breast face of the wood heel and its path being gaged with reference to the guiding crease 26. In order that the trimming cut shall be continued beyond the attachln and top-lift-receiving faces of the heel w ere thereis no support or backing for the margins of the cover which project beyond these faces, these cover margins may conveniently be held under tension by the hand of the operator and the necessary cuts made by the tool 30 or, if desired, scissors may be employed to trim the projecting cover margins. The above described trimming operations having been completed, the trimmed end portion of the cover is tucked into the groove G by means of a blunt-ended tucking tool 32 (Fig. 11), the tool operating progressively from one endof the heel to the other overwiping the end portion of the cover and turning it gradinwardly over the edge of the groove ually finally tucked into the groove as until it is illustrated. Next, the opposite end portion.

C of the cover is wiped and stretched over the uncovered portion of the heel breast, the lateral margin of this .portion of the cover overlying the groove and a portion of the covered side of the breast. The end portion or margin C of the cover is then creased along the line of the groove by the use of the tool 24, as shown at 34 in Fig. 14, and then trimmed, as shown at 36 in Fig. 15, along a line spaced outwardly the desired distance from the crease 34 by means such as the scissors 38. The portion C of the cover, after being thus trimmed, is overwiped, i. e., turned inwardly over the edgeof the groove G, and tucked into the groove beside the portion already tucked therein, by means of the tucking tool 32, as shown in Fig. 16. While this portion C is being tucked and crowded into the grooves both portions of the cover which overlie the breast of the heel block are stretched and caused tolie smoothly against the breast face and both margins C and C are compressed between the side walls of the groove so that they are firmly held withinthe groove and the cover is held smoothly against the breast of the heel block. Thereafter it is only necessary to turn in and press down in the usual manner the margins of the cover which project beyond the attaching and top-lift-receiving faces of the heel. The heel is then ready to have the top lift applied and to be attached to a shoe.

As a result of the simple operations above described a heel of either the Louis or the Cuban type may have its rear, side, and

breast surfaces entirely and smoothly covered by a one-piece cover with only a single joint, the latter extending along the middle of the heel breast and appearing only as a line or sli ht indentation in the covered breast sur ace, there being no rough or trimmed edges visible to mar the finished appearance of the heel. The joint, moreover, is of such a character, as hereinbefore indicated, that the cover edges are securely held in the groove G so that there is no opportunity for the cover to become loosened. It will be noted that the holding of the cover in place upon the heel is eifected solely by means of the side walls of the groove and by adhesion of the cover to the heel. The breast being entirely covered as well as the rear and sides of the heel before attachment of the heel to a shoe, it is unnecessary, in preparing a shoe for the attachment of a heel of the Louis type, to split the sole so as to provide a breast covering flap. While the illustrated heel covering has been described as consisting of a piece of leather it is to be understood that fabric, celluloid, rubber or any other material may be employed which, when applied to the heel, is in a limp and easily stretchable conditlon so that it will conform readily to the irregular contour of the heel surfaces as the cover is stretched and manipulated in the act of applying it to the heel.

I Having described my invention, what I claim as new and'desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

'A heel having a relatively deep and narrow groove in its breast extending heightwise of the heel and having a cover tensione over and conforming to the rear, side and breast surfaces of the heel, the cover being secured adhesively to said surfaces and having end portions tucked into said groove and held in place therein solely by the side walls of the groove and by adhesion of the cover to the heel.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM H. NUTT. 

